FREE ENEWS SUBSCRIPTION
TURE
TMCNET FEAT
December 04, 2024
Program Ensures Lung
Digital Radon Detector Library Lending
Cancer Prevention for Communities
By Contributing Writer
Ecosense Inc. was established to improve the quality of human life around the globe by safeguarding communities against the deadly side effects of overexposure to radon gas, such as lung cancer. To date
“Worldwide, radon is estimated to cause 84,000 deaths each year,” reports Insoo Park, CEO of Ecosense. “It’s the leading cause of lung cancer among people who don
, its game‐changing radon detection technology has helped tens of thousands of families in dozens of countries, monitoring for the presence of a widespread health hazard that causes about 21,000 lung cancer deaths annually in the US alone.
’t smoke and strikes victims with very little warning. Fortunately, radon‐induced lung cancer is a threat that can be easily eliminated by continuous radon monitoring and proper radon mitigation,
and today’s technology makes radon detection more accurate and affordable than ever.”
Ecosense uses a patented ion chamber to power radon technology that provides precise, reliable, ongoing measurements. Its radon monitoring devices capture initial readings in 10 minutes, with definitive readings available in only one hour. Whereas traditional devices require air samples to be sent and analyzed in a lab, Ecosense provides real‐time readings with no external analysis required.
Park and Ecosense have launched a new initiative to put valuable radon monitoring technology in more people’s homes. Known as the Ecosense Digital Radon Detector Library Lending Program, the initiative makes detecting radon in any home as easy as checking a book out from the local library.
The University of Michigan Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Science and the Kansas State University Radon Chamber independently validated the performance of Ecosense’s patented ion chamber technology. Both studies concluded that Ecosense’s patented technology performed comparably to premium research‐grade detectors. Ecosense’s EcoQube® radon monitor was recognized as a CES (News ‐ Alert) 2021 Innovation Awards Honoree in the health and wellness category.
The program helps libraries provide educational materials and detection technology, helping local communities understand and avoid the risks of radon exposure. It is already in operation in several state libraries, including Utah, Michigan, Illinois, and Massachusetts.
Addressing radon fluctuations with continuous monitoring
Leveraging radon detection for healthy living
By providing continuous radon monitoring, Ecosense addresses one of the key issues that can lead to overexposure: radon fluctuations. Without accurate, ongoing, and continuous monitoring, dangerous radon levels resulting from fluctuations can go largely undetected.
Radon is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless radioactive gas that is known as the “silent killer” due to the extreme health risks it poses to humans. It is created by the breakdown of radium, which exists naturally in soil and rocks.
Cracks and other openings in foundations allow radon to enter homes and other structures. When radon is breathed into the human lungs, its radioactivity can damage DNA and cause lung cancer.
“The quick evaluation provided by a shortterm radon test during the home inspection is valuable, but it can’t provide an adequate gauge of one’s radon exposure risk over time,” Park warns. “Indoor radon concentrations are constantly changing, so staying safe requires continuous monitoring with detection technology sensitive enough to identify radon fluctuations. When radon levels increase for extended periods, effective radon monitoring devices alert homeowners to the danger.”
“Radon gas dissipates in the atmosphere, so it’s harmless to humans in outdoor environments,” Park explains. “Indoors, however, radon can be trapped and accumulate to dangerous levels. The US Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 1 in 15 US homes contain dangerous radon levels. More recent data suggests the percentage is higher.”
Various factors can trigger radon fluctuations, including changes in outdoor temperatures or the number of people occupying a home. Ecosense’s radon technology was designed to alert users to fluctuations, ensuring they remain safe at all times. Its EcoQube® and RadonEye® radon detecting devices provide hourly readings
with data logs with mobile device apps, while the EcoBlu® monitor offers readings every 10 minutes as a stand‐alone device
“Radon awareness has been our focus for the past two years,” Ron adds. “We don’t want anyone to be blindsided with a non‐smoking lung cancer diagnosis like we were. Radoninduced lung cancer is preventable. Testing and monitoring are the tools to know your radon levels and how to eliminate the dangers in our homes to protect our families.”
Ensuring safety through technology lending
Technology lending programs have become more common in libraries, making tech gadgets such as laptops, hotspots, and 3D printers available for loan. The programs allow and assist local residents and communities to benefit from technology they cannot afford to own themselves.
The Digital Radon Detector Library Lending Program seeks to add Ecosense’s patented and proven radon detection technology to the tools that can be borrowed from libraries. The capability of Ecosense’s monitors to provide reliable and quick readings makes them ideal detection devices for library lending, which enhances the health and safety of communities by increasing the frequency of residential testing in local homes.
In Utah, the Ecosense Digital Radon Detector Library Lending Program is primarily led by Ron Robbins, whose wife Kerri “was diagnosed with Stage 4 non‐smoking lung cancer.”
“I’m Kerri's home support team,” Ron says. “We’ve attended several events, been interviewed for television promotions, and are currently working on getting Radon legislation passed here in Utah to protect homeowners, buyers, and renters.”
“It’s been repeatedly demonstrated that longterm exposure to elevated levels of radon gas significantly increases the risk of lung cancer,” warns Park. “But avoiding the deadly consequences can be as easy as committing to continuous radon monitoring. Ecosense’s Digital Radon Detector Library Lending Program seeks to make that a real possibility for everyone.”
Ron says that while “one‐time use charcoal test kits are great, they can only provide a ‘snapshot’ of what’s happening in one's home.” The Ecosense Library Lending Program allows community members to check out an Ecosense Radon Digital Monitor (much like a library book) that they can use to monitor radon levels in real time with remarkable accuracy within the first hour of plugging it into an outlet.
Source: https://www.tmcnet.com/topics/articles/2024/12/04/461345‐ digital‐radon‐detector‐library‐lending‐program‐ensureslung .htm